According to the ranking of Polish universities Perspektywy 2016, the University of Silesia in Katowice was ranked as:

• 2nd higher education institution in terms of academic effectiveness,
• 6th university in Poland,
• 13th higher education institution in Poland.

In the year 2016 the University of Silesia marked its presence in the following international rankings:

1. Times Higher Education World University Rankings:
   - position in Poland: 5,
   ​- position in the world: 601-800;
2. Academic Ranking of World Universities (so called "Shanghai Ranking"):
   ​- position in the world: outside 500;
3. Ranking Web of Universities:
   - position in Poland: 9 (1st and 2nd edition),
   - position in the world: 710 (1st edition), 792 (2nd edition);
4. Center for World University Rankings (CWUR):
   - position in Poland: 9,
   - position in the world: 969,
5. U-Multirank:
   ​- click here to see the profile of the University of Silesia;
6. Google Scholar Citations:
   - position in Poland: 10 (18,446 citations);
7. Best Global Universities (by U.S. News & World Report ):
   - position in Poland: 10 (together with Medical University of Warsaw),
   - position in the world: 921.

See positions of the University of Silesia in:

• 2018,
• 2017.